Hawaii AD Announces All Athletic Teams Will Be Include Rainbow In Nickname

Hawaii's football team had officially been called the Warriors since '00

In a "stunning reversal of his first major decision as University of Hawaii athletic director, Ben Jay has changed course and will name all of Manoa's men's athletic teams Rainbow Warriors," according to Reardon & McInnis of the HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER. Jay became UH AD in January. In February, he announced that "all UH men's teams would be named Warriors, dropping Rainbows from those that still had it part of their name." Since '00, some had "been named Rainbows, some Warriors and some Rainbow Warriors." Jay said, "The only clear consensus on this topic over the last 13 years has been that a decision needed to be made to unify our men's teams under one nickname. That goal will still be accomplished as we retain the Rainbow and Warriors names, both of which are near and dear to the hearts of our fans, whom we represent." Jay in February said that the "various names caused confusion and a single name was needed for marketing and branding purposes." The women's teams "will remain Rainbow Wahine, as Jay originally decided." The football team had been "unofficially referred to as Rainbow Warriors prior to 2000, when football coach June Jones led a successful effort to officially change the name to just Warriors." Coaches were "allowed to choose the names of their teams, and volleyball, golf and tennis switched to Warriors, basketball and swimming and diving went to Rainbow Warriors and baseball remained Rainbows" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 5/15). Jay at a news conference said that there are "no significant cost differences from the original plan with the football team changing" (AP, 5/14). CBSSPORTS.com's Jerry Hinnen wrote, "With the 'rainbow' restored to the nickname, the next question for the football team becomes: will it abandon the black-and-green uniform motif associated with the 'Warriors' name and return to the bright-green-and-multicolored look from the decades prior?" (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/14).